Stomp Out the Stigma

Mental illness does not discriminate. It can take over your father, your sister, your best friend… and it can take over YOU. Currently, 45% of Australians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. It is not a choice that they make, but a decision which is made for them. Mental illness significantly affects how a person thinks, behaves and interacts with others. It can come in all different shapes and sizes, and not one cause can be held responsible. Mind, body and environment all have a role to play. By 2030, the World Health Organisation estimates that depression will be the number one health concern experienced globally. That's right - overtaking Coronary Heart Disease, stroke, cancer. And the number one concern that people suffering from mental illness face? STIGMA.

Stigma means labelling a person by their illness, reducing them to a diagnosis, and cornering them into a box built by their condition. Often, stigma leads to prejudice and discrimination and has significant effects on the victim. Three out of four people with a mental illness reported experiencing stigma at some point, bringing about feelings of shame, hopelessness, blame and distress. Often stigma can stop people from seeking the treatment that they desperately need to take control of their lives.

While stigma affects many people with medical conditions, those suffering from mental illness are amongst the most marginalised, discriminated against and vulnerable members of society. It can be easy to feel sympathy for someone with a visible, physical ailment, but someone who looks "normal" to the observer, well that's much more difficult. This page is designed to get the information out there, to help you understand mental illness better, and to provide a forum for people to speak freely and comfortably about their experiences. And most importantly to show that we are people first, not problems.

References:

Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing 2007, Summary of Results [Internet]. 2007 [cited 2015 Feb 22]; ABS cat. no. 4326.0. Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au

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